Communication

com⋅mu⋅ni⋅ca⋅tion Spelled Pronunciation [kuh-myoo-ni-key-shuh n]
–noun
1. the act or process of communicating; fact of being communicated.
2. the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs.
3. something imparted, interchanged, or transmitted.
4. a document or message imparting news, views, information, etc.
5. passage, or an opportunity or means of passage, between places.

 These last few months, I have been the shoulder and ear to a friend of mine that is going through some difficult times in her marriage. So much so, that it is leading to divorce. I am talking, papers filed and everything. It is a bittersweet ending because they are good people. They are just no longer good for each other, and may not have been for some time now. Hard to say. Perhaps this has been brewing for a while now and things just finally came to the surface and eventually got out of control to the point of no return. Without divulging too much, one of the main things is the serious lack of communication. Things get said, feelings get hurt, people get pissed. So what, it happens. But when you can’t and won’t even tell the person what is on your mind for sake of keeping the peace, that spells trouble. It can resonate and you will stew in it until eventually it just boils over. In the midst of all the stewing, something is finally said about how you feel and it will not come out in a civil tone. That is when it gets really ugly and blown out of proportion.

I feel that if you are going to say it, just say it. Don’t wait. There is a way to say things that will not put the other person on the defensive. I lived too long like that where I would never speak up, stand up or voice my opinion. I got tired of it and finally decided to make that change. To be heard. That has had a nice impact on my communication with Hunter (and all of my relationships for that matter). He respects and appreciates my candidness. We can sit down and hash out a problem, issue or even have a (gasp) normal conversation. If there is an issue, it may or may not get resolved right then, but we are communicating. We are not trying to keep peace by pussyfooting around the issue.

Communicating effectively takes practice and a great deal of effort. Without communication, it is almost impossible to resolve conflicts or grow in your relationship. I realize that communication is not the whole picture to a successful marriage, but it sure doesn’t hurt to have it. It seems to make everything else fall into place nicely. With that being said, I had some thoughts on the subject matter. What makes me and Hunter tick and why we are able to talk so easily?

1. No one wins. Arguments are not a win or lose situation. You argue, you resolve, should be end of story.

2. Compromise is essential to problem solving. Before bringing up a problem, make sure you have thought of ways that you can help solve it by mutual compromise. This can be difficult depending on your position with the issue at hand though. Must choose carefully with this one.

3. Try to be positive when bringing up sensitive problems. Don’t just jump right into the conversation. Start off gentle depending on the subject matter. You certainly don’t want to put your husband/wife on the defensive before you have really gotten to your point.

4. Be a good listener and make sure you understand what he/she has said to you. For example, if you were given an assignment at work and didn’t understand all of what was being said, you would ask questions. You would ask for clarification. Same thing in your marriage. If you don’t understand, ask for some clarification.

5. If the conversation gets too heated and you find yourself not listening to each other or you started slinging insults, take a much needed break. This is the part where things could get ugly and it is hard to come back from.

6. Be careful of your body language.

7. Be honest and focus on the real issue. If you waffle on the point you are trying to make, you probably won't make it.

8. Don't ever be rude or talk down to your spouse. Don't dismiss an idea or thought as absurd. Listen to his/her point. All. The. Way. Through. Does not mean you can’t interject your own thoughts, but give them a chance to get their whole point/thought out. It is just like telling your child to not interrupt when people are talking. You should not do it either.

9. Stay on track.

10. If you find yourself still struggling, there is a good chance you may need some outside intervention. And that is okay. Many couples need to be taught how to talk to each. There is nothing wrong with that. You just need to recognize when it is time.

3rd Week Complete and a Couple Other Random Things

We have completed the 3rd week of the challenge and I'll be dammed if we don't owe 8 bucks, again. Someone decided that they would lose 4 pounds which means the rest of us have to ante up twice the amount in money that this person lost. Great for him/her and great for the ever growing pot of money that will go to the overall winner in the end. Congrats to this weeks winner who shall remain nameless still!

Since I am on the topic of working out, let's discuss (or you can just read actually) the P90X Kenpo X workout. I have a few things to say about it. First of all, I absolutely loved it. It was energetic, challenging, fun and it makes me want to take it a step further and take a martial arts class of some sort. I think some research on that topic is in order. I want to find the right class and the right instructor for me. One problem, I have so many other things that I am doing right now, health/workout related, that I need to decide if I want to add something else or replace something with the martial arts. Hmmmm, what to do, what to do? I suppose what I can do is the necessary research to find out what is available. In the meantime, I will continue my running and P90X cardio in addition to the weight lifting that we have been doing. That seems to be suiting me just fine.

There are a couple of things coming up that I am most excited about. The first being sushi making day with Shannon which I posted about a few days ago. This is something I have been wanting to try for a long time and when I posted the 'make your own sushi', Shannon was right there asking when. So, we decided on a day that we would give it a shot. Actually, the plan is to meet up to run in the morning, come back to the house and peruse the sushi making book to decide what we need, get cleaned up (decided that sweat and sushi won't mix), and then head to Central Market for the stuff. I am sure martinis and/or wine will be involved and with any luck, we will have Piranha quality sushi right from the Barbosa kitchen. Details to come.

The other thing I am really looking forward to is our next (drunk) canasta night with the Homuth's. There is really so much that could be said about this night, and so much that should not be said. We have deemed our table the table of truth because we just talk about anything and everything. So this particular night was spent teaching them the rules of canasta, all the while, drinks are flowing and so is the conversation. We had the best time laughing and telling stories. My stomach literally hurt by the end of the night but it was so worth it. Naturally, with this amount of fun, we have another canasta night in the works. Great fun.

Last but not least, the chart.

You are welcome, participants 1 - 7.

Thoughts and Wisdom of a 12 Year Old

My daughter has a Face Book and I really appreciate her random thoughts and wisdom with the use of proper spelling, proper grammer, etc. I rarely see her take short cuts on her posts and quite frankly, I find it refreshing. With that being said, I thought I would share the thoughts and wisdom of my 12 yeard old, courtesy of her Face Book.

- The opposite of 'grrr' is 'urggg'.

- No matter how tough situations can be, you always pull through with more confidence than you started with. =)

 - It's not who you are on the outside....It's who you are on the inside. ♥

- You know you're stressed out when you can hear mimes and see the invisible man.

- Aubry is watching football with her mom at the moment. She enjoys watching big dudes tackle eachother.

- If you can't find what you lost, you might as well have found what you already lost in the first place. Who's ready for a half day today? I AM!! =D

- If the moon is made of swiss cheese, what is the Earth made of, Pepper-Jack? Okay, does ANYBODY know where the moon is or what phase it's in right now?

- Aubry now has a Thought of the Day everyday! TotD: Parachute for sale; Used once, never opened, small stain.

- I've got nothing (almost) to do. If Labrett asks for me to clean again, the answer is no.

- School is like a cold winter day. Not the best thing in the world, but not the worst thing either. Ever realized that?

Here's the Plan

By putting it out there for all to read, it makes me feel accountable to follow through. Not that I would not follow through normally (for the most part) but doing it this way makes it more real to me. So here goes. The first part of my plan is to participate in a 5K a month. One month I will run, the next month I will walk it with LaBrett. (side note: she started running several months ago but experienced such severe knee pain that the walking is simply better for her.) So, part of the deal I made with her and myself is that I would walk with her every other month. So that brings me to this past weekend. It was our first 5K of the year and we completed it together. The route was out around Grapevine Lake which is an awesome place to run. The elevation changes are challenging and fantastic for training.(I will be going out there from time to time when I start my training for some bigger events...getting to the deets on that in a moment). Any how, we completed our first 5K and headed to IHOP to take in the calories that we burned! I am kidding, sort of. We actually did pretty well and didn't overdo it.

The 2nd part of my 2010 plan, which I pretty much decided on yesterday, is to run the Whiterock Half Marathon. Part of my training will include the Grapevine Lake route in addition to participating a couple of bigger races leading up the half marathon date. Bigger races meaning 15K's and what not.

The 3rd part of my 2010 plan is to participate in a duathlon. I realize that I have already put most of this out there but it was more a preliminary plan at that time. Now, I am closer to pinning down the months in which I plan to do these events. Once I get that finalized, I will put a chart of sorts together to help keep me on track. I need to be careful in the planning and try to work it to where the events can also be considered training for the big stuff. (well, big stuff to me)

Look for a calendar of events to be posted in the next few weeks.

Things You May or May Not Want To Know About Me - Which I Ripped Off From My FB Notes Section Because I Posted Something Similar A Long Time Ago But Not Everyone Read It Back Then.

1. I am not a gamer, but I married a gamer. 
2. I thoroughly enjoy World of Warcraft (but I claim not to be a gamer) 
3. I am a hypocrite (see numbers 1 and 2) 
4. I am a HUGE Prince fan and have his symbol tattooed on my ankle. 
5. I loved the TV series Buffy and Angel. I love Smallville too and secretly have a crush on Tom Welling. I even collect the Buffy comic books and have Angel volumes 1 and 2 on order right now. 
6. I have 4 tattoos and want more. 
7. I think Rock Band and Guitar Hero are the greatest thing since sliced bread or cheese. (great family game, great party game) 
8. I love football...specifically the Cowboys. 
9. I love sushi and dirty martinis. I enjoy red wine and I like crown and coke. These are all great combos for a girls night out. 
10. I thought I wanted the 2010 Camaro until the Chevy dealers pissed me off and would not let me test drive one.
10A. I went over to Nissan dealer up the road from the Chevy dealer to test drive the next car on my list.
10B. I drove home in a 2010 370Z and have not looked back since. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this car and Chevy can suck it.
11. I love to run and hate doing it without my Garmin forerunner.
11A. I am becoming addicted to working out and feel like a blob when I miss a day that I know is not my off day.
11B. My near addiction to working out and trying to lead a healthy life is bleeding over into my cooking and eating habits. My family does not seem to be suffering from it either.
12. I am a big media wh_ r_ (fill in the blanks). Love music and movies in 7.1 surround sound while sitting in front of the 65 inch TV. Love big TV's, lots of speakers. 
13. I went to Vegas with my hubby and our very dear friends LaBrett and Gene and thoroughly enjoyed watching my husband dance for 7 hours straight. 
13A. Going back to Vegas this summer to hit up parts of the strip we did not see last time.
14. I love NCIS, House, Bones, Fringe and reruns of all of those shows, but never take the time to watch the weeks and weeks worth that is stacking up in the DVR.
15. I am addicted to mechanical pencils. 
16. I have no tolerance for females that gossip, whine, are high maintenance, try to "change" their man, turn off TV's and say we need to talk, etc. I think you get the picture. 
17. I ran a half marathon back in September of '08 and would love to do more. 
18. I love being a mom and think I do a pretty good job. 
19. I love being married and my husband is the best "man" in the world. 
20. I want to visit Spain, Italy and Australia some day 
21. I look forward to the teen years with my kiddo...bring it on. I ain't scared! 
22. I hate shopping (usually) but love my annual trip to San Marcos with a friend mine. 
23. I could spend hours in a Best Buy (yes, I am a hypocrit...see numbers 1,2 and 3...and now 22 and 23!) 
24. I am addicted to constantly checking some of my favorite blogs to see if they have been updated. 
25. My husband says I have beautiful finger nails.
26. I can curl my lip like Elvis and find it humorous when people try to do it.

2nd Week Complete

I am a little late on posting the chart...and since Hunter gave my blog a plug in his email to the group, I figured I better get the chart up. So far so good for the majority of the group. But, someone who shall remain nameless is lifting A LOT and is building mucho muscle which is causing the scale to go in the opposite direction. But, the clothes are fitting better regardless of what the scale says. And we ALL know that muscle weighs more than fat. So there you have it. 

Side note: P90X Ab Ripper is pretty awesome. I could only make it through half of the video though. It is incredibly tough but I will prevail. I will win.

Make Your Own Sushi

From an aesthetic and health viewpoint, sushi is possibly a nearly perfect food. It is always presented beautifully (as shown here) and tastes awesome. And I do love the neatly controlled package that it comes in! More important, these tasty little morsels are nutritional as well. (I only know this from the plethora of reading that I have done on the subject). They are full of potassium and iron just in the seaweed alone. There is fiber in the vegetables, and omega3 fatty acids and protein in the fish. Big bonus, sushi has a low calorie count, about 200 for five pieces.

The coolest part, you can get all of this without dropping a couple of bills at a sushi bar. Just buy some sake and/or wine and the sushi ingredients and call your friends for a sushi making night. Side note: I already have the kit that I really want to put to use.

The seaweed wrapper (nori) and fish (be sure to ask for sushi grade) can be found at high-end grocery stores. If your local high-end grocery store does not have the fish, try a fishmonger. One tip I read is that the flesh should bounce back when pressed with your finger, and it should smell of seaweed, but not strongly of fish.

For your basic tuna roll, follow these construction tips:

1. Dampen hands with water and vinegar to keep rice from sticking. Spread a handful of rice evenly downward on the dull side of the nori (seaweed).

2. Leave a half-inch margin free of rice on the top edge, and hollow out a horizontal indentation midway for the filling. Spread a thin layer of wasabi (this is optional because it is pretty dang spicy).

3. Fill in the hollow from edge to edge with thin tuna slices. Place your thumbs underneath the nori and lift the top edge.






4. Align the roll half an inch from the top edge of a bamboo sushi mat, roll the bottom of the mat to the bottom edge of the nori, and roll forward.


5. Gently continue to roll the mat forward until you reach the top edge of the nori.






6. Rotate 180 degrees, and press firmly along the roll to tighten and pack in the filling.






7. Gently peel back the mat and remove the sushi. Cut into six pieces.

I am really anxious to try this and hope that I can get the opportunity some time really soon. If any of you have ever made sushi, I would love to know how it turned out. What would you do different from what I have shared above? Any recommendations on where you went to get your sushi ingrediants would be great too.

Fricken Hilarious

Anybody that knows me knows I love football, specifically the Dallas Cowboys. If you know anything about Dallas, you know that DeMarcus Ware is a beast on D-Line. He will rattle any Quarter Back out there. And if anyone is keeping up with football this season, you should already know that Dallas is in the playoffs. The big game today is against the Vikings so how appropriate that I would get an email with this picture as an attachment. It was too good not to share.

With that being said, I will be headed to the Homuth's, family in tow, to watch Dallas whoop up on some Favre. I am so dam excited about this game. I would love to see Dallas move one game closer to the Super Bowl. Goooo Dallas!

There's no need for the return of these.

I am no fashion expert but I don't think I will be seeing myself on What Not to Wear, ever. I like to think of myself as someone with decent fashion sense. I am not into super trendy attire that will be "out" the following season. However, I do like to wear things that are pretty current but will carry me through for quite a while. So, while perusing my favorite clothing store website, I stumbled on some items that made me dang near throw up my Pei Wei dinner. Why oh why must these things try to make a come back? They may be "trendy", but a year from now, I bet you will find these things in the back of your closet.

Tie dye anything is just, um, well, gross.

I never understood the return of leggings...but to tie dye them and give them the appearance of jeans? Why?

As for these pants, I don't think any body shape can make these tapered, pleated things look good.

This one is not as bad as the pants, but why not just wear a real necklace instead of having it screen printed on your shirt?! Seems very toddler like to me. (this is no reflection on the lady modeling the shirt...that is what she is getting paid to do)
 









I would like to take my own do's and don'ts photos from people I see on the street. Might be kind of fun to black bar complete strangers. Must be my mean sided nature coming out.

Cardio X Review

There are a couple of things to get out of the way before I get to my review of the P90X Cardio X program. 

I mentioned to a friend of mine that I feared my blog was turning into a weight loss journal of sorts. She ( Shannon ) said to me, "What is there to fear? It is your blog and you can post what you want." And after going back through the past few weeks, it is pretty littered with healthy eating tips, working out tips, what my next venture is going to be whether it be running, biking or both, etc. Then my next thought was, who cares? She is right and my passion lies in living a healthy lifestyle, running, biking, doing 5K's, half marathons, bike races and just plain ol' working out. And I like to share those things. My next thought is that maybe, just maybe these various posts will help to inspire people that lack motivation to get out there and do something about it.

So, that brings me to my review of Cardio X that can be added to the slew of my other weight loss related posts. 

The Cardio X program is broken down into 4 sections Each section has exercises that most people have done or are just famliar with. There are also some exercises that may seem a little "goofy" but I can see how they would be very effective.

Section One: Yoga

The warmup is simply going through some of the classic Yoga poses. If you’ve done Yoga before, then you know that even though some of the poses don’t look very difficult, they can be pretty challenging. Yoga also does a great job of getting your heart rate up and putting you into that fat burning zone. Another thing to keep in mind when you are performing the yoga movements is to try and perfect your form. The more you perfect your form, the more you will get out of the poses.


The classic yoga poses used in the warm up are: 

• Sun Salutations (Vinyasas)
• Runner’s Pose
• Warrior One
• Warrior Two
• Reverse Warrior

My thoughts: I think yoga is the BEST way to warm up the body and I was pleased to see it in the Cardio X routine as the warm up. The 5 moves listed above will warm up every muscle, stretch every muscle and get you ready for the remaining 3 sections, one of which is pretty challenging.

Section Two: Kenpo


The Kenpo section (my personal favorite) is when your heart rate really starts to get up there, and just as with Yoga, the more you apply yourself to the movements, the more you will get out of it. The individual exercise selections from Kenpo include

• Ball Kick
• Hook/Uppercut/Side Kick
• Front & Back Knuckles/Ball Kick/Back Kick
• Jab/Cross/Hook/Uppercut
• Three-Direction Kick

My thoughts: I have always been a big fan of Kenpo type exercise. We had a kicking bag for a while and I used it pretty regularly for a good cardio workout so I was very happy to see Kenpo for section 2. For me personally, Kenpo right after yoga is the right place for it. Your body is pretty warmed up and limber which allows for the movements to be executed a little better and with more fluid movement. Great great way to get the heart rate going.

Section Three: Plyometrics


The exercises in this section consist of the following:

• Airborne Heisman
• Swing Kick
• Jump Shot
• Tire
• Wacky Jacks *these were hilarious to do and entertaining to watch but very affective for the obliques.

My thoughts: This was probably my least favorite section, beneficial but my least favorite none the less. I don't really have a reason other than I simply enjoyed the others more. The Jump Shot was a little akward until I found my rythm. The tire was pretty cool but I really had to focus on where the "tires" were, otherwise I felt like I was cheating myself with much shorter jumps than what is called for.

Fourth Section: Core Synergistics

The Core Synergistics movements that are part of Cardio X include

• Squat X-Press
• Steam Engine
• Dreya Roll
• Squat Run
• Superman/Banana

My thoughts: I thought this was a great end to the session. Each of the movements can really push you to the limits. The Dreya Roll alone has numerous variations at the end of the movement where you can jump or pose in ways that can enhance the overall effect of the exercise.

Overall, I think the Cardio X routine is fun and it is a great way to add the much needed cardio into any work out program.

Next up, the Plyometrics X. (Hunter lasted through the 1st section until his legs just would not move any more...I gotta see what this is about!)

As Promised

So, there it is. The lovely chart. I will post this each week so you can see the progress of the No Named Participants. Some asked for special colors but the chart wizard in Excel would not let me select the colors for the graph, at least not that I could find. Oh well. Looks like every one is stuck with various shades of blue.

I did survive the P90X Cardio X this evening. I will post my review tomorrow.

Week One Results

So, the first full week of the weight loss challenge has come and gone. I was in the process of getting a chart together to share and then I realized that not everyone will want their information out there. Granted, it might be more of a motivator but it is not my place to put it all out there. Perhaps I can put the weight to a color. You can then guess what color goes to whom! That might be fun. Hmmmm, I think I may be on to something now. BUT, I cannot do that until we have all players in place. Right now, there are 3 late comers so the chart would be slightly lopsided. Look for a chart next week then, with colors in place of names.

So, that brings me to this week’s results. Everyone but me has to pay 6 bucks. That means I lost 3 pounds and had the largest weight loss for the week. Don't count on that for next week though. For some reason my weigh in at the beginning of this was slightly higher than where I typically am and I really don't have that much to lose to begin with. Besides, my goal is to participate and have fun. My other goal is to lean out, tone up and be as healthy as I can be. If that means paying every week (except this week!), then so be it. I will have fun any way.

Next up, bring on the P90X. I am sure most of you have heard of it. The incredibly intense workout that kicked numerous peoples butts. I would love to see the cardio piece to this program. I already have a lifting program that I really enjoy but for the brutally cold days that keep me indoors on cardio days, I need something I can do. A friend of mine has done the cardio and says it will kill you! Maybe not literally of course but that is her way of saying it is a tough tough workout. And for the weather we have been having lately, a tough cardio workout indoors is not a bad idea. With that being said, I have a friends copy of the program and plan to try out the cardio tomorrow. I will let you know how it goes. I hope I am alive after the cardio workout in order to type my review.

Stay tuned.

Central Market

Central Market is quickly becoming one of my favorite places, for numerous reasons, all of which occurred in one day. After work on Friday, I picked up dinner, cake, cards and Nyquil.


Dinner:

Central Market offers these fabulous meals which serves 4 people for the low price of $19.99. Check out the menu items from this past Friday. The cool part about this is that you can mix and match. You can get 2 chicken, 2 salmon and 2 servings each of all the side dishes. Or you can go with 4 pieces of chicken and 4 servings of 2 of the side dishes. And of course you can opt for 4 pieces of chicken…well, you get the idea. The best part, aside from it being only 20 bucks, is that the meal was really good.



Cake:

Next on my list was to find a birthday cake for Hunter. I don’t bake, so the next best thing is to buy one from a bakery that I hope makes a fabulous red velvet cake. I finally found the bakery and was in luck when I spotted a red velvet cake. (By the way, this cake was indeed fabulous. Not too sweet, just the right amount of icing. Yum)

Cards:

Finding the cards was bit more difficult than it should have been. I did ask someone for directions and when I arrived to the destination, I did not see them. I walked by them, probably 3 times before I realized they were right in front of my face. The greeting card aisles are set at an angle and they were short, say chest high. That threw me off a bit because the aisles just looked like display shelves, not to mention all the cards were cellophane wrapped. Oooh, fancy! I know I looked like a Central Market newb.

Nyquil:

No need for details here…I found the Nyquil.

Extra Added Bonus:

With all of my goodies in hand, I head to the check outline. While waiting in line, I start perusing the magazine and books that are on an end-cap. One in particular caught my eye. Because we are on this life style change of eating a more healthy diet, the title of this book grabbed my attention. It is called Cuisine Lite. Although I have not read the entire thing from front to back, it appears to lean towards 30 minute meals with a few 15 minute meals sprinkled in. It also focuses on healthy meals that consist of 400 calories and under. I can’t wait to try some of these recipes out. Other things I noticed while flipping through is that the book full of pictures and little tidbits of information about an ingredient you may be using for a recipe, or a nice summary of the dish that you are preparing.

For example:

• Beneficial Berries – a great source of antioxidants, berries are one food you should to eat every day. This chicken dish proves you can enjoy the taste and health benefits of berries beyond breakfast and before dessert.

Or

• Grilled Turkey Kebobs – This dish shows how small amounts of big flavors add up quickly. The rosemary, garlic and jalapeno combine to give sweet-and-spicy kebobs dramatic flavor that you’ll never guess is virtually fat free.



While others may not find the summaries interesting, I do for the simple fact that it literally summarizes the recipe which allows for easy decision making on whether or not to try the recipe.

Let the Challenge Begin

With the Biggest Loser Challenge underway (courtesy of Hunter setting it up), I thought I would share some things that I have read over the last few weeks that might help kick start this process for some people. Weight loss to me is a no brainer but all too often people can become victim to quick weight loss schemes. “Lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks”, “Drop a pant size in a week”, etc. Granted, these schemes may work, but only temporarily. As soon as you go back to eating normal, the weight returns. Often times I hear from people that say they are working so hard to lose weight but nothing is happening. Although that may be true, there is such a thing as working too hard. The focus could be in the wrong area such as the gimmicky weight loss schemes, misguided perceptions, false promises, you name it. They could possibly be focusing on working out more and not eating a more healthy diet or vice versa. These 2 things NEED to go hand in hand for permanent and healthy weight loss to be successful. A smart, balanced approach may not seem easy but getting caught up in weight-loss myths will only sabotage your success. Here are three top weight-loss myths, busted. In my opinion, these are the no brainer myths and probably the easiest to not stray away from.

Myth: You can lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks.
Truth: You probably can lose 10 pounds in two weeks if you crash diet, but you’ll feel terrible and most of the weight will return once you start eating normally. To truly lose 1 pound, you need to eliminate 3,500 calories (the amount stored in a pound of fat) by eating less and moving more. If you cut 500 calories (or cut 300 and burn 200 through exercise) every single day of the week, you’ll lose about a pound a week..

Myth: If you exercise, you can eat as much as you want.
Truth: Unless you’re working out like an Olympic athlete, to lose weight you’ll still need to keep an eye on how many calories you’re eating. “Calories in” add up much more quickly than “calories out.” Consider this: two medium cookies cost you about 400 calories. To burn 400 calories, the average person needs to run or walk 4 miles.

Myth: You should expect to be hungry while dieting.
Truth: If you cut calories randomly, you’re probably going to feel hungry. On the other hand, if you plan out your day so that you’re replenishing yourself with nutritious foods every three or four hours, you’ll likely feel satisfied on significantly fewer calories. Aim to include a source of lean protein (skim milk, turkey) and fiber (hummus, carrots) in every meal and snack.

 
Another part to this not so complicated puzzle is moving. I don’t mean packing bags and boxes and changing your residential location. I mean, really move, exercise, get your blood flowing, stop being a couch potato. The recommended amount of time to exercise is 30-45 minutes a day. 30-45 minutes. That is all. So when I hear people exclaim that they don’t have time to exercise, it makes me lose my mind! Personally, I think that excuse is a way out. So what if my statement causes controversy. I work full time, I have a family that I care for and a house to maintain, yet I manage to find the 30-45 minutes to work out. I have put this question out to people before that complain about time being a factor.

 “How bad do you want it?”

But I digress.

During the course of my reading, I found several websites that I pulled bits of information from. The first on the list are tips for exercising. I would be willing to bet that most people do not follow these recommendations. These are put in place for a more successful workout and to help prevent injury.

Tips for Exercising:

• Drink plenty of fluids before, during, and after a workout.
• Do warm-up exercises for 5 - 10 minutes at the beginning of an exercise session. Strengthening exercises, quiet calisthenics, and walking are ideal.
• Do not eat for 2 hours before vigorous exercise.
• When exercising, listen to your body's warning symptoms

The next bit of reading led me the benefits of exercise. Like most people, I understand the basics of the benefits so when I came across this list, I felt it was something that needed to be shared. In my opinion, the most important benefits are not those that change you from a physical standpoint, but rather your overall internal health.

Benefits of exercise:

The benefits of exercise include (and are certainly not limited to):

• Decreased risk of cardiovascular (heart) disease, high blood pressure, and stroke
• Decreased risk of colon and breast cancers
• Decreased risk of diabetes
• Decreased risk of osteoporosis
• Decreased risk of depression and dementia
• Decreased body fat
• Improved metabolic processes -- the way the body breaks down and builds necessary substances
• Improved movement of joints and muscles
• Improved oxygen delivery throughout the body
• Improved sense of well-being
• Improved strength and endurance

Once you have embraced just how beneficial exercise can be, the next step is to identify the types of exercise and how they may be able to help you. Types of exercise can be summed up in 4 words: Cardio and Strength Training. There are benefits to both and yes, both are very much a necessary part of a successful regimen. The recommended amount of cardio exercise is 3-4 hours a week, while the Strength Training recommendation is 10 -20 minutes, 3 times a week for beginners. For those that have been at this for a while, 30-40 minutes, 3 to 4 times a week is recommended for the amount of time spent with Strength Training.

Cardio Training:

Regular Cardio exercise provides the following benefits:

• Protection from heart attack, stroke, diabetes, dementia, depression, colon and breast cancers, and early death
• Builds endurance
• Keeps the heart pumping at a steady and high rate for a long time
• Boosts HDL (good) cholesterol levels
• Helps control blood pressure
• Strengthens the bones in the spine
• Helps maintain normal weight
• Improves one's sense of well-being

Cardio is usually categorized as high or low intensity. High intensity cardio exercise is further classified as high or low impact. Examples of each include the following:

• Low- to moderate-impact exercises: Walking, swimming, stair climbing, step classes, rowing, and cross-country skiing. Nearly anyone in reasonable health can engage in some low- to moderate-impact exercise. Brisk walking burns as many calories as jogging for the same distance and poses less risk for injury to muscle and bone.
• High-impact exercises: Running, dance exercise, tennis, racquetball, squash. High-impact exercises should be performed no more than every other day and less often for those who are overweight, elderly, out of condition, or have an injury. Naturally, if there is a medical problem that, should rule out high-impact.

Strength (or Resistance) Training:

Benefits of Strength Exercise: While cardio exercise increases endurance and helps the heart, it does not build upper body strength, lower body strength or tone muscles. Strength-training exercises provide the following benefits:

• Build muscle strength while burning fat
• Help maintain bone density
• it is also associated with a lower risk for heart disease, possibly because it lowers LDL (the so-called bad cholesterol) levels
• Strength exercise is beneficial for everyone, even people in their 90s. It is the only form of exercise that can slow and even reverse the decline in muscle mass, bone density, and strength that occur with aging.

Strength training involves intense and short-duration activities. The following are some guidelines for starting a strength regimen:

• The sequence of a strength training session should begin with training large muscles and multiple joints at higher intensity, and end with small muscle and single joint exercises at lower intensities.
• Choose a weight that is about half of what would require a maximum effort in one repetition. In other words, if it would take maximum effort to do a single repetition with a 10-pound dumbbell, the person would start with a five-pound dumbbell. In the beginning, most people can start with one set of 8 - 15 repetitions per muscle group with low weights. As individuals are able to perform one or two repetitions over their routine, weights can be increased by 2 - 10%.
• Breathe slowly and rhythmically. Exhale as the movement begins. Inhale when returning to the starting point.
• The first half of each repetition typically lasts 2 - 3 seconds. The return to the original position lasts 4 seconds.
• Joints should be moved rhythmically through their full range of motion during a repetition. Do not lock up the joint while exercising it.
• For maximum benefit, you should allow 48 hours between workouts for full muscle recovery.

I understand this is a lot of information to take in and can be somewhat overwhelming. Once you incorporate the changes into your daily life, it honestly becomes second nature. There is so much more information out there than what I have provided here. This is just scratching the surface and is hopefully enough to get you started on your own routine.

Stay tuned for the results of the 1st week of the Weight Loss Challenge.

Insecurity and Quandary

insecurity
[in-si-kyoo r-i-tee]

–noun, plural -ties.

1. lack of confidence or assurance; self-doubt: He is plagued by insecurity.

quandary

[kwon-duh-ree, -dree]
–noun, plural -ries.
1. a state of perplexity or uncertainty, esp. as to what to do; dilemma.

My obsession has returned. Posting definitions is fun for me. This is a fun time. Not only have word definitions returned, but today there are 2 words, not just one like there has been in the past. Now I just need to tie these words in to my post for today. Unfortunately, this post is very similar to the one I posted in early December regarding blog posting. I guess you could say I am using my blog as a therapy session and getting it all out there.

I have a couple of insecurities when it comes to posting. I worry about how others will perceive my writing style. I debate on posting certain things for fear that they will not generate enough interest. Do I even have an audience? A couple of things happened over the course of December that sort of validated my insecurities. I put a question out there just to see how many people would respond to it. That is somewhat indicative of just how many readers I do have. You know how many responses I got? One. One response. Ouch. Then I stepped back and really thought about it. Maybe my question was just not interesting enough to garner a response from those that do read my blog. So, I brushed that one off as a live and learn type thing. Next time, make the question more captivating. The other thing I noticed is the lack of comments or feedback for any given post. I get a comment from time to time and it is generally from the same people (not complaining, just sayin’!) I love comments and I encourage them. They are meant to help me better my blog. So please, by all means, comment away. One last thing that I added to my blog is a “followers” feature. I set this up as another way for me to see who my audience is. So far I have one follower, but in my defense, I did just add this to my blog.

With all of that being said, I sit here with a positive outlook! I don’t care if I don’t appeal to everyone. I don’t care if my posts get no comments or 10 comments. I will blog anyway because I enjoy it. It can be used as an outlet. It can be used to share exciting news with family and friends. It can be even be used as a scrap book of sorts for sharing photos. Last, but certainly not least, It can be used for therapy as I have done today.

Now my only quandary is what the heck do I blog about in 2010?! (insert sarcasm here)

Work in Progress

I am still tweaking my blog and the more I tweak, the more I see that I want to change. I spent the better part of the morning trying to figure out why the photo editor we have (a photoshop knockoff) would not load. First issue was an mpeg vio driver error. Went through all the trouble shooting that the support page suggested. The error went away but then the program would not launch. The problem is, we are on Windows 7 and the photo editor we have is 1 version behind what is currently out right now. Translation: no support. I hate to say it, but I finally just gave up and went out to PicNik, (recommendation from Liz) and did my photo editing there. Voila, my new header image is born. I knew exactly what I wanted so it took me no time to create it. It turned out just how I pictured it would. So forget you photoshop knockoff photo editor. I found something better.

What Does 2010 Hold

I am not one for planning really really far in advance. However, parts of 2010 have already been booked. I am happy to announce that there are 3 trips in our future. Well, 2 for sure. The other one is still in the works as there are some issues/stumbling blocks to get ironed out first. We need to coordinate time off for one and the other is make sure our kiddo is taken care. (this is a big people trip). In May, we are hoping to go to Vegas with LaBrett and Gene. This trip is scheduled in the early part of May, during the school year. That is the stumbling block I am referring to. Our other trip is going to be to the coast with the Homuth family and of course, all 3 of us. And last, but certainly not least is a trip to Wisconsin during the holidays. Granted, we just got through the holidays but my mom and I have talked for years about us spending a holiday together. It is hard because all of us are so spread out. It makes it difficult to get every one together. One day while on the phone with my mom, I said, "let's just do it." So we are going to stop talking about it and just do it! Next holiday season will be a white one for us for sure.

The other events that are in the works for 2010 are the two racing events that I am working towards. Many of you already know that I have made a vow to participate in a duathlon. That is still going to happen. And my incessant need to run has me thinking another half marathon, injury free, is in the future. Ever since I started running, I have done a lot of reading. In that time, I found 2 website that I really like. Run On Texas and Active are two of my favorite websites for finding local races. They have other information as well, but I use them mainly for finding events that are in the area. I still rock it old school with magazine subscriptions to Runner's world and Bicycling. As much as I love the internets and gadgets, there is just something about having a magazine or a book in my hands.

One last thing is that I am hoping to hone in on my creative juices and really get them flowing. I have always wanted to paint something on canvas and hang it in my house. I am not artistically talented, at all, but my idea is something I am confident I can execute successfully. And the best part about this is I now have the information and the tools I need to get this art work done. Turns out that a friend of mine, very talented I might add, was showing me some pictures of some art work that he has done in the past. Low and behold, one of the pics was of my same idea. He was gracious enough to send me the steps needed to get it done. Said it would take about one to two weeks, depending on the size of the canvas. In my case, there are two canvases, no experience and no artistic talent...so I am guessing 4 to 6 weeks! Naw, I should give myself some credit. Afterall, I am good at a lot of things but not super great in one area. Maybe this will be the one area that I can be super great in!

Weight Loss Challenge

It would appear that many people I know are on a get healthy kick, including my husband. Not necessarily because of the New Year or some kind of resolution. I say this  because that is not how they have presented the health kick to me. Any how, Hunter comes home from work today and tells me that his office is kicking off a weight loss challenge starting Monday. His office has a gym, which they charge for and I think that is ridiculous...but I digress. Anyhow, part of the incentive of winning this challenge is a free month at their gym. Whoo Hoo? We already have a gym at the house so that is not a motivator for Hunter. He has always told me that he lacks the motivation to do it on his own and apparently I am not aggressive enough in my pleas to get him work out. So, he ended up talking to a few co-workers and they have decided to kick off their own challenge. They all decided there would be a "buy in" of sorts. The way it works is this: Each week, there will be a weigh-in. Let's just say that Hunter loses 2 pounds the first week. And let's say that everyone else loses less than that. Since Hunter lost the most during that week, he puts 2 bucks in to the pot while every one else has to double that amount. Weigh-ins will occur every week and who ever loses the most that week will only put in the dolloar amount of what they lost while every one else has to double it. This will continue for 3 months...so obviously the pot is going to grow. Who ever loses the most at the end of the 3 months gets the whole pot. I think that sounds like a pretty sweet deal. So, for the next 3 months, I will be Hunter's little cheerleader and support him in any way I can. We usually work out pretty well together so I don't think there will be any issues with that. The one issue however, is cardio. He hates it! He still has 3 months left of his 24 Hour Fitness membership. He bought a 3 year membership almost 3 years ago and has not really used it too much, so he decided he would not let it go to waste (any more) and use their cardio machines. Maybe by the time the membership is up, he will be ready to run and/or ride with me. Not sure about the running so much since it bothers his jacked up knees. We shall see. So there you have it. The first healthy kick event of the 2010 will be a 3 month long weight loss challenge that Hunter is part of. Hopefully, this will result in a lifestyle change that will just become 2nd nature. As for me and my challenge, my training for a duathlon will be starting really soon. Still trying to pin down a good training routine. I am really close to finding something I like though. And of course, I will be working out with Hunter and helping him to make sure he is not the one having to double the buy in!

Oh, side note: there is other incentive for both of us to get our butts in gear.


Trip to Vegas in May

And a trip to the coast in August.

Missed a Day

Well, I didn't exactly post every day like I said I was going to. In fact, today is really no different than yesterday, other than to say I am not going to post today! I am in the process of researching an item (custom made item) for Hunter. His birthday is January 8th so I need to get after it if I intend on getting this done in time for his big day. (um, is 36 considered a big day?)

P!nk and Social Networking

I have subscribed to Women's Health for a long time now. This month was full of goodness.  There was an article/interview with P!nk which was a great read.  Here a couple of little teasers.

Pink the Singer: a Softer Shade

Written by Lori Majewski for Women's Health

Pink doesn't need a bodyguard. In fact, she has an entourage of exactly one—her tour manager, Nick Cua—when she arrives at a hotel in Birmingham, England (where she's on tour), for her Women's Health interview. "She can take care of herself," Cua says.

- You two are back together, and you thank Carey before anyone else in the Funhouse liner notes, saying "You took my heart and made it bigger." But when you were making the CD, weren't you really pissed at him? Isn't that what "So what" is about?  

"No. I wasn't. [Big sigh] Long-term relationships are a layered onion. There's something about him I love, and I want him to be OK, even if he's not with me."

- How is that different from past relationships?

"When I met Carey, I was an abused puppy in the corner, ready to bite anyone who put their hand out. And there's a part of me who will always be kind of like that. But he was the first man I was with who allowed me to take a deep breath [she exhales] and close my eyes and fall backward. And most of the time, he was there. That's more than I can say about others. So when I say he took my heart and made it bigger, my heart was like this clenched fist. And even after he broke my heart, still, I had two bigger halves. I have more capacity to love and to be loved."

- Your tour is the Funhouse. Britney's tour is the Circus...

"I'm not taking anything away from Britney because I really like her a lot, but I would never go to a show where the person was lip-synching. When you grow up listening to Janis Joplin, you're not going to want to see somebody mime."

- You like Britney? Isn't she one of the girls you sing about in "Stupid Girls"? 

"I've always said I like Britney. I swear to God, I've stuck up for Britney since the beginning. She and I have talked about it. My point was, Stop comparing me to her, because we're different animals."  

If you are P!ink fan, you should check out the full article. 

There was also an article about Social Networking, Face Book specifically. A couple of things I found especially interesting was how Facebook started out and where it is now. It also pointed out peoples need to overshare.  I could not agree more, on both accounts. As much as I enjoy Facebook and will continue to use, it has morphed into something much more. It is riddled with games and has become a place for people to post things for shock value. I am all for feedback worthy comments...but some of the TMI stuff is just out of control! I have read many things that I think should come with a rating or a prescription for some kind of psych drug. This article had some pretty interesting posts and reasons why people post what they they do. I thought I would share a few of them. Enjoy. 


Social Networking: Don't Overshare
written by Fernanda Moore for Women's Health


The Ewwwdate

Anna My rash is better, but still oozing.
Josie Flu, day 3: Vomiting gone, but have the runs instead. And now Jack is throwing up.

Maybe these people think they're witty. (Potty humor never goes out of style, right?) Says Johnson: "One of my sons, when he was an infant, was a projectile pooper." (Thanks for sharing!) "If Facebook had existed back then, I would have rushed to post about it. Sometimes you just need to vent." Still, updates about bodily functions are TMI. You want to look away, but it's too late.

Actually, Ewwwpdaters may simply be upping their own antes. If no one comments on posts about your garden, then go for the gross-out! "The urge for attention turns ordinary folks into shock jocks," says Julie Albright, Ph.D., a sociologist at the University of Southern California. "The more revolting your updates, the more people will notice you." 


The I Chewed Up-Date

Christine is eating toast.
Christine just made ramen.
Christine has linguine with clam sauce—yum!

What's with the people who constantly post about food? The rest of us ate toast today too, but we fought the urge to shout it from the rooftops. Let's call them DCPs— digestive-compulsive posters—and leave it at that. "If you think about it," muses Albright, "dining is a social activity. The social significance of eating together goes back to our earliest roots, right?

"So if someone is at home alone, eating ramen she made for herself," Albright says, "posting on Facebook lets her break bread, virtually, with a community she apparently lacks." Says Johnson: "Aw, it's harmless. Just think, some people are still excited about this use of Facebook—saying 'Finally! I can tell everyone what kind of cereal I had...in real time!'"


The Re-Up-Date

Samantha is on the plane!
Samantha is landing!
Samantha Here comes my suitcase!

Overposters—those whose constant stream of drivel sends sensible people lunging for the "hide" button on their news feed—compulsively chronicle their every move and alter their profile pictures, relationship status, and so on. Sheesh. It makes you wonder what they did all day before Facebook existed. Don't these people have friends?


The Schutupdate

Jacqueline is putty in the hands of a man who brings her coffee in bed.
Melissa just loves morning sex.

Oh, she does, does she? Well, goody for her. Some people aren't getting any, and they really don't want to hear about other people's awesome rolls in the hay! And if it's, say, a coworker's post, we really don't want the image stuck in our heads. "Way back when, you'd have this intimate conversation with your closest friend...maybe," Johnson says. "But bragging about your sex life to hundreds of people shows that people's boundaries have become ridiculously eroded." Albright thinks it's simpler than that. "Look, sex sells," she says. "It's the most basic attention-seeking device there is. Describing their sexual antics online makes people feel twice as desirable—live, in front of a virtual audience!" 

I put this one right up there with the Ewwwwpdate.